


Happy Birthday

by turtleeden



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff, has an idea for this, i don't know what i'm going to do for christmas eve and valentine's day, if ann's birthday is this long, oh look ann has a birthday announced!, smh at myself, spoilers for November, takes so long on said idea that ya boi gets another name, this was supposed to be short but holy shit i got carried away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 11:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13212669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtleeden/pseuds/turtleeden
Summary: 11/12. While awaiting the fateful heist upon Sae Niijima's palace and the mission that comes with it, Ann secretly becomes more and more anxious over the mission as she counts down the days to November 19th. The stress of worrying causes her to forget her birthday... but luckily for her, Akira, Shiho and the rest of her friends haven't.





	Happy Birthday

The waiting game has always been nervewracking to Ann.

When they had to wait until a certain point to see if their target’s heart has been changed, the mere suspense of what was going to happen was always killing her. Patience was always a virtue in times like these, but sometimes she just wanted to know. If things have really changed for the better, if the person whose heart they changed was willing to pay for their crimes and atone for the rest of their lives, and if by doing so, there was always the thought of whether or not they would inspire others to gain the courage they haven’t had before. 

This though… this was different.

Waiting for the results from changing someone’s heart has never been more nervewracking than waiting for this particular heist on the 19th. 

This mission was not like the others that came before it. The stakes were higher than they’ve ever been before; for they had an unknown enemy after them. Theirs was a double layered, elaborate mission that determined who their true enemy was. They must do all of this while not making a certain person on their team suspicious of their true actions, and somehow keeping their enemies off their trail when it would all go down. And yet despite all of that, they have to go about their days as normal as they possibly could.

Ann sighs as she adjusts and straightens up her twintails. She combs through her blonde hair with her fingers, before taking up a proper brush and starts brushing as she focuses on the mirror. Try as she might to not dwell on it too much, her mind eventually falls upon what was going to happen on the 19th, and with it, a nervous knot in her stomach starts growing. It doesn’t become clear to Ann that she was thinking about it until she just so happens to look in the mirror, where she could see her very expression darken in her worry. Startled at the realization, she patted her cheeks a few times before vigorously shaking her head. She probably undid all of her brushwork by doing that, but she hardly cared about that right now.

“Geez, get a hold of yourself, Ann…!” she scolds herself. So much for trying to improve on the acting front. Her worries were practically stamped on her face. “Okay… just play it cool. Right. Just another day of just going to school. Yup! Nothing to worry about here...!” She smiles to herself as she stands in front of her mirror, trying to convince herself that she had nothing to worry about right now.

“...”

...except, you know, the heist on the 19th.

“...”

...and the fact that she had to keep suspicions off of her and the others as they prepared for said heist… in both fronts. Things have been stressful on the PT side ever since the Okumura case, but this was just on a whole ‘nother level. Even the energy at school shifted into something that was more… intense. Secretly, it made Ann feel a little more on edge when she walked the hallways.

“...”

...not to mention that their Leader’s life -- _Akira’s life_ \-- is going to be at great risk. Especially when they’re aiming to make their enemy believe that he’s dead. The key word is: believe. Should that fail, there was a big chance that Akira really could die for real.

“...”

...she isn’t going to try and think about what would happen if all of this failed. Nope. Not at all.

“Ugh… this sucks.” she groaned. She had half a mind to just plop back down on her bed for another hour. Not the entire day, just an hour or two. But she knew she couldn’t do that. Instead, once she had put the finishing touches in grooming herself, she grabbed her phone and her bag, then walked out of her home and closed the door. Another day, another time of getting squished in-between people on the crowded subway in Shibuya. As she was waiting for the train though, Ann heard her ringtone going off. Checking her phone, her face immediately brightened up when she read the caller ID, and she answered with eagerness.

“Shiho! Hey!”

_“Ann! Oh, good! Sounds like I caught you before school was supposed to start there.”_

“Pfft! Like that’s gonna stop me from answering one of your calls!” she smiled cheerfully as she leans her back against the wall. “And besides, it’s no big deal. I’m just waiting on the train. What’s up?”

_“Nothing much, except today being a certain someone’s birthday, that is. Happy birthday, Ann!”_

...wait a minute, what? 

Ann blinked a few times, looking a bit puzzled. A quick glance at the corner of her phone’s screen has earned a facepalm from the birthday girl herself. Today **is** her birthday, isn’t it!? It is! The phone’s date clearly said 11/12 on the screen. _God._ All of this time she was stressing and worrying over the 19th so much that she almost let her birthday pass her by! She could hardly believe it. Who forgets their own birthday?!

 _“...Ann? Are you there?”_ Shiho’s voice of concern brought Ann back to earth, and she holds her phone up to her ear once more. _“Wait… you didn’t forget it was your birthday, did you?”_

“Me? No way! I totally didn’t forget! I mean, how could I forget something so important as that, right? Ahahaha…”

 _“...you forgot, didn’t you?”_

Ann couldn’t help but wince a little when she said that. She could practically see the deadpan expression Shiho must have on her face right now with how she sounded right there. Ann groaned in defeat, pinching her nose before she started speaking again. “...okay, yeah. I forgot. Don’t laugh, Shiho. Please?” she begged, her free hand upright as if in prayer. “Things have been like, super crazy around here lately, y’know? I’ve been a little -- okay, no. Really distracted.”

Shiho hums sadly from the phone. _“Honestly? I know what you mean…”_ she spoke.

“…you do?” Ann furrowed her brow at that. Then a thought entered her mind, and she was starting to get concerned. “Wait… Shiho, are you okay?”

_“Me? I’m fine, actually. It sometimes feels that it’s more so like… everyone else isn’t okay, oddly enough. If I could try and put it into words… Everyone feels like they’re so... obsessive over everything, even at my side of town. It’s kind of unnerving.”_

“Shiho...”

_“I’m glad that you’re okay though, Ann. I can take great comfort in that... but should I be worried? I mean, it’s not like you to forget your birthday.”_

“I knoooow… ugh.” Ann groans to herself again. She still can’t believe she did that herself. She must be more wound up than she thought she was. But despite her groaning, talking to Shiho here gave her more relief than what she has been feeling for the past few days. It felt… so nice talking with her like this. Maybe that in itself was a birthday gift for her. Seeing her train slowing down to a halt so that people could board, Ann’s hold on her phone tightens so that she would be less likely to drop it in midst of being crammed in the train.

“I’m fine though, Shiho. You don’t need to worry,” she said, starting to move from where she was standing to merge with the crowd boarding the train. “But uh, my train just got here, and the ride’s gonna get real boring quick, so… why not keep me busy ‘till I get to school? It’s been a while since we’ve talked on the phone like this. I wanna hear all about what you’ve been up to, and don’t leave out any details!”

Ann could hear Shiho giggle from the other end, amused. 

_“You got it.”_ she promised.

Throughout Ann’s train ride, she and Shiho talked about a variety of things. Shiho spoke about how she was doing in her new neighborhood. She spoke about the different sights there, the exercises that she’s had to do to keep herself a little more active post-rehab, and what were the places that she thought that Ann would like. Ann in turn talked about some of her latest shoots and how they were going, and how she and the others were getting along. Since Shiho didn’t know much about Futaba or Haru last they spoke, Ann talked about them in particular quite a bit, and how nice is was to have more girlfriends around. She also added how much Shiho would like them, if they ever do meet in person.

 _“I’d like that, someday.”_ Shiho replied.

“Trust me, they’ll love you. I’m sure you guys will get along fine!” Ann chimed.

Of course, the subject of Akira was not lost on the two of them either. There was very little need to hide anything from Shiho, since she already figured out that the two of them were a couple in their last phone call. Several months in and they’re still going strong. Ann did briefly mention a couple of dates that they’ve been on since the last time she called Shiho, mainly the ones after they came back from the Hawaii trip. But she kept the more intimate events and details to herself. Those little things were purely _‘laying on the bed with her pajamas on’_ subject matter instead of just blurting it out on the train. Luckily, Shiho understood.

But Ann had to admit, it was much easier for her to omit the PT related things now than it was when Shiho was still in rehab. She’d like to chalk it up to experience helping her in that matter. That, and it was much easier to avoid it when she actually didn’t want to think about it, lest she get internally stressed over the 19th once again.

 _“Are you going to do something special for your birthday today?”_ Shiho asked. As Ann looked on to see that her stop was coming up, she hummed quietly to herself in thought.

“Well, since I almost forgot about it in the first place, it’s safe to say that I don’t have any plans.” she replied, twirling the tail end of one of her twintails.

_“Hm… Maybe the others have something planned for you then. Surely at least Akira-kun must have thought of something, right?”_

Ann hummed in thought again. Akira _definitely_ wouldn’t forget a birthday. Ryuji once mentioned that before finals, he and Akira immediately went out to the arcade after school just because it was his birthday. Well, actually, Ryuji groaned about much it sucked taking tests and studying for finals on his birthday of all days. Akira, not knowing about it before then, dragged him to a full blown day at the arcade and the two of them just let loose. When the Phantom Thieves became a little bigger with Yusuke and Makoto on board, the subject of birthdays came up on the chat, and everyone had to post theirs so that everyone wouldn’t forget. The same thing happened when Futaba joined, and then when Haru joined, and then later Akechi, despite recent developments. Morgana even had an honorary birthday made for him! ( _At least, until they work out the matter about how to get Morgana’s memories back, but that’s another story._ ) Knowing Akira, he must’ve thought to plan ahead of time for this. He’s always been the thoughtful type.

But at the same time… she knows that he already has enough on his plate. If she’s here worrying so much over the heist that even her own birthday slipped her mind, she can’t even imagine the things that Akira must be going through. He already does so much for everyone as it is… she wouldn’t want him to worry about it too much on top of what they have to prepare for. Akira seemed to have a penchant for overworking himself. And knowing him, he’s probably taking on a lot of tasks himself to prepare, even while everyone else prepares in different ways. Ann doesn’t know how he does it. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.” she spoke. “I mean, he’s not gonna be like me and forget, right? At least, he better not! Ahaha… ha...” Her forced laughter immediately died on her lips, with it not being very convincing. It wasn’t as if she really believed that Akira would forget like she did, it’s just that it didn’t really seem that important compared to other things.

 _“Whatever the case… take the time to do something for yourself today, okay?”_ Shiho said. _“Times like these are times that we should have to take care of ourselves, even for a little while. Especially when this year has been so crazy… for the both of us. And there’s nothing wrong with doing a little celebrating, right?”_

Shiho was absolutely right, in more ways that one. Ann had to smile at that. “Eheheh... Right.”

_“I don’t know exactly what’s happening on your end, but I hope that you remember to take care of yourself too, Ann.”_

“Trust me, I’ll be sure to do that! Thanks, Shiho… you don’t know how much you cheered me up today,” Ann said, truly thankful and relieved. Shiho calling was probably the best thing that she needed right now. For a little while, the world just seemed so much simpler with just the two of them talking like this. She really didn’t want this call to end, but alas… she’s at her stop. Seeing all of the other Shujin students unboarding the train and merging together in small groups solidified that fact. “Call back soon, okay? I’ll keep you posted.”

 _“I’ll do that. You just make sure to enjoy yourself today.”_ Shiho replied.

“That’s a promise! Love you, Shiho!”

_“Love you too, Ann. Happy birthday!”_

\-----

School went on as it normally did.

The day itself was uneventful. Even so, it didn’t change the charged, almost suffocating air that she could feel in the hallways in recent days. The endless obsessive chatter of her peers went on as ever, strongly expressing their lost faith of the same Phantom Thieves they were practically worshipping this past summer. It was never the only thing that they talk about, though it was often the most common thing that was talked about. Ann would be lying if she said she was unfazed by this. No, she won’t lie… the fall stung in more ways than one. And constantly feeling the urge to look over her shoulder was an unwelcoming sensation. 

When Ann headed out the main entrance of the school, she wanted to shake off the tense air, just for today. Shiho was right. It was her birthday! She should enjoy herself by doing something fun! She shouldn’t worry about school, or upcoming heists, or life-or-death high stakes, or anything like that. Not today! Today, she was going to treat herself to the biggest crepe that she can pay for. She wasn’t going to worry about any diets today either. It’s been decided!

...though she did find it odd that she didn’t hear anything from the others. No buzz from the IM chat, no call in the hallways, nothing! Not even a passing mention! Hell, she could barely catch Ryuji in the hallway today. _Ryuji._ Of all people. _‘What are they planning?’_ she thought to herself, her eyes squinting at her phone screen as she flipped through the chat with a swipe of her thumb. Ann wasn’t a Phantom Thief for nothing. She could tell when something was up. And her instinct was telling her that her friends didn’t forget about her birthday like she did. Maybe they really were planning something for it?

Ann walks down the concrete stairs and turns towards the direction of the train station. As she walked down that path, her initial instinct was confirmed in the form of a certain dark-haired boy, casually leaning his back against the wall as if he was waiting for her to show up. Ann giggled as she shook her head at the sight. “I knew it.” she sighs to herself, unable to hide the big smile on her face. Adjusting her school bag slung on her shoulder, Ann quickened her pace and calls out to him.

“Akira!”

Akira immediately raised his head at his name being called, and seeing who it was, he smiled. “Hey, birthday girl.” he greeted, standing upright. “Going my way?”

Ann giggled a bit again, closing an eye at him as she stopped walking. “Depends,” she replied. “You heading to Shibuya?”

“Maybe I could be. Or maybe not. I got your present at my place, so I was headed over there to get it.” he mentioned briefly, before continuing on. “But if you wanted me to stick around with you, though…”

“...then you’re going my way.” Ann finished, grinning. “It’s a date.”

A bemused smirk formed upon Akira’s lips, with him chuckling under his breath. He looked pleased, but then his focus shifted down to the rustling of his school bag. With the both of them knowing what -- or in this case, who -- it is, it was safe to say that he caught their attention. “Oh, right. You’re good, Morgana.” Akira cued in. Poking his little head out of Akira’s school bag, Morgana practically beamed at Ann in an endearing little meow, as if he was waiting all day to do this.

“Finally!” he exclaimed. If cats could grin, then Ann could see a big one upon Morgana’s face. “Lady Ann, I wanted to wish you a most wonderful birthday today! Birthdays are considered to be really important to humans, right? Then celebrating the day of your birth should be really important! A truly momentous occasion!”

“Aww… thank you, Morgana!” Ann cooed, bending down slightly so that she could cup his furry little face and scratch behind his ears. Needless to say that Morgana was relishing in the attention, mewling dreamily as his ears perk up and his head craned to rub it against her hand. He often didn’t call himself a cat, and he didn’t really like being treated like one, ( _Even though he’s softened on that stance a little bit in the past month._ ) but it’s moments like these that almost made him look like a normal cat. It was cute. Even he had adorable moments like these.

“I think he died and went to heaven.” Akira jested, rolling his eyes a little. He knew very well that cat was enjoying every second of this for sure. Ann eventually stopped with a final gentle rub on top of Morgana’s head, though she had missed the black cat eying Akira a bit before he straightened himself up.

“Ahem. Well, seeing as you two seem to have plans… I suppose that I should leave you to it.” With little effort, Morgana stealthy leaps out of Akira’s bag and lands on his feet.

“Aww, you don’t have to leave on our account, you know.” Ann assured.

“There’s nothing more than I would love to do than stay with you, Lady Ann. But there’s no rest for a dashing gentleman thief like myself. I’ve got some business to take care of.” Morgana starts to turn towards one of the alleyways nearby, but before he goes off into parts unknown, he turns his head to look back at Akira in particular. “Let me know when you get done. I can trust you to keep a lady safe and happy, can I?”

Akira scoffed at that. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” he said, rather matter-of-factly.

“Hmph. Just making sure that my teachings haven’t gone to waste on you at this point.” Morgana replied, with his head held high. This time, he definitely looked like he was grinning. With that final taunt, he was off. As Ann and Akira watched Morgana run into the darkness of the alleyway, Akira couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head.

“I swear, he can be so dramatic…” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ann raised her eyebrows at him, gaining a teasing look in her eye. “Oh, really?” she voiced, putting a hand on her hip. “Wonder where he gets _that_ from?”

“Wha -- ? Oh, _come on._ Don’t blame me. He’s always been like that!” Akira protested.

“But he lives with you though. So _you’re_ the direct influence here, mister!”

“Nope. I take no responsibility for that.”

“Oh, _please._ ”

“Absolutely not.”

“Some leader.” Ann teased, poking his cheek with her finger. As much as he tried to look calm, Akira couldn’t resist the small pout on his lips when he felt it. She laughed at him, enjoying her teasing a little too much. What can she say? Akira’s rare show of flusteredness was adorable. It was always a delight to her whenever she can make that side of him come out, since he didn’t show it often. Eventually she showed a little mercy, opting instead to take hold of his hand and tug him towards the station. Akira then obliged, and the two began to walk together and ride the train to Shibuya.

The train was crowded this time of day, of course. And unfortunately for the two of them, there were no open seats to take this time around. So they were forced to stand there with their hands grasping at the steel poles for dear life while people boarded and bunched uncomfortably all around them. Typical. Even with Akira pressing her close to him with his arm wrapped around her waist, Ann felt the familiar feeling of feeling like she was inside a pack of sardines. Still, if she must enjoy one thing, it was having Akira close by so that she wouldn’t lose him in a sea of people. So Ann nestles herself in her spot and stays close as the two of them waited for their stop. When they finally do get there, Ann couldn’t help but stretch her arms out a little once she’s in a more open space.

“So, where are we headed?” Akira asked, rolling his neck.

Ann smiled. “We’re gonna go down to Central Street and get a huge crepe! I’ve already decided I was gonna buy one today, at least!”

“Even though you were trying to stay on a steady diet recently?” he asked quizzically.

“Screw the diet! It’s my birthday!” she huffed. That earned a laugh from him.

“You’re the boss,” he replied after. “Want me to treat you? I still have a bit of yen in my pocket.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be alright.” she assured, knowing well that he meant what he said. “You can help me eat it though!”

“Heh. Deal.”

Beaming with delight, Ann marches down to Central Street with Akira in tow. True to her word, she gets in the line to the shop, ordered the biggest strawberry crepe that she could pay for, and paid it out of her own pocket. When she took hold of it, it took all of her willpower to not drool on the spot. Cream and strawberries filled her vision, and her eyes sparkled as she held on to it. Akira guided her to a nearby bench where they could eat to their heart’s content. Ann took the first few bites of it along the way, of course, humming with content as she relishes in the sweet taste. By the time Akira made a move to help her eat it, the surface was already halfway gone.

“Mmmm ~ There’s so much cream in here! Soooo good…” she mused dreamily.

“You know, we could’ve put a candle or something on top for the occasion.” Akira mentioned, swiping a bit of leftover cream from the corner of his lip.

“Hmm… that’s a thought.” Ann looked upon the crepe’s surface, still filled with strawberries and flavoring in the middle of all of that cream. “Would it even stay in place though? I mean, there’s a whole lot of stuff packed in here!”

“It might? You never know. Although the top is almost gone now.”

“Ahaha… oops.” she laughed. Ann would say that she was sorry… but she really wasn’t sorry. 

Akira only smiled as he watched her make easy work of the crepe in her hands. He ate a few bites himself, but it was clear that he was no match for her. Some help he was, right? Still, he did take a lot of napkins with him since Ann really did order a huge crepe. And huge crepes meant a whole lot of cream everywhere. As the once huge treat turned into nothing more than a few small pieces within wrapping, Akira handed out a few napkins Ann’s way, which she accepted with a hum of thanks. Carefully she wiped away the leftover juices from her fingers, then down to her palms, and finally her mouth, which needed her attention the most. Her face was practically smeared with pastry and cream.

“I probably look like a mess, huh?” Ann laughed, wiping at a part of her cheek.

“Little bit.” Akira answered, chuckling as she playfully nudged him with an elbow in response. He handed out the small stack of napkins so that Ann could grab them at her own pace. But as she was doing so, he was watching her intently, searching for a golden opportunity. Once he saw an opening in the form of a little spot of cream that she missed, he makes his move. Ann doesn’t notice Akira leaning in right away, but she does become aware of him when she feels his lips press against her cheek. Completely caught off guard, Ann couldn’t help but blush a little. Before she could even think to react right away, Akira pulled away with a sly grin on his lips.

“Missed a spot.” he teased.

Ann placed her hand on her cheek and huffed. “You dork. I still had napkins right here, you know!” she chided. Not that she didn’t appreciate that smooth little gesture of his. Flustered as she may be at times, she’s grown used to his antics by now.

For a while, Ann and Akira remained in their spot at the bench, their heads resting against each other as they watched the crowds go by. It wasn’t the most eventful thing in the world to do on your birthday, but she didn’t care. She was currently happy where she was and who she was spending time with. A knowing smile crept on Ann’s features when she occasionally hears Akira’s phone vibrate in his pocket and he takes a brief moment to check it, but she says nothing about it. The clues have already fell into place in her head, but she’ll let Akira play the distraction a while longer. He makes a good one, after all.

And yet, the thought of the 19th still looms in her head, which she had tried so hard to avoid thinking about after her call with Shiho this morning. Damn it… she just can’t stop being worried about it, can she? The good thing here is that she can actually talk with Akira about it if she wanted to, since she knew that he would listen to her without a fuss. The problem is that she really didn’t want to talk about it. It would probably stress her out all over again… but the more that her concerned thoughts entered her mind, the more that it became clear that it was something that she couldn’t avoid. From that, she sighed sadly. And Akira took notice of it.

“...Ann, what’s wrong?” he asked, the concern evident in his voice.

“...” She makes an unsure hum, her focus alternating between his face and her feet on the ground. She settles with the idea that she should tell him what’s on her mind. Even if all of her concerns don’t go away, at least she would finally be able to vent to someone that would get it. “You wouldn’t believe what I did this morning.” she began.

“What did you do?”

“I actually forgot it was my birthday.”

Akira raised a brow in disbelief. That wasn’t like her at all. “Are you serious?” he asked.

“Totally serious. I would’ve totally forgot all about it if Shiho didn’t call me to say ‘Happy Birthday’ this morning! Ugh, I felt like such an idiot… I mean, who forgets their own birthday, right?” Ann shakes her head at herself, and sighed again. “I couldn’t really admit it to Shiho, but I guess I really forgot about it ‘cause… I was too busy being worried lately.”

Akira was silent for a moment as he glanced down, seeing the solemn expression on Ann’s face. Ann often talked to Shiho about many things, he knew. He also knew that the only thing that she didn’t talk to her best friend about was, of course, Phantom Thief business. So if Ann felt like she couldn’t admit something to _Shiho_ of all people, then Akira had a good idea about what exactly was on her mind that’s got her so worried. Wordlessly, he wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer, before confirming what they both knew this was about.

“It’s about the 19th, isn’t it?”

“...yeah.”

They were silent for a few moments.

“This is something that we have to do, I know that. I know how important this mission is. It’s just…” Ann pauses a little before she continued on, her voice soft. “It’s just that I’ve been so worried about how this is going to go down. It’s not that I don’t believe that this will work. I believe in all of us without a doubt. It’s just that a bunch of ‘what-ifs’ enter my head… ‘What if something goes wrong?’ ‘What if Akechi-kun catches on to what we’re doing?’ ‘What if all of us -- No. What if even one of us don’t make it out somehow?’ ‘What if what I can do isn’t enough?’ ‘What if…’” 

Her voice trails off at that sentence, her lips pressing together in a thin line as if she didn’t want to voice the next ‘what if’ in her head. Her hands clench tight in a fist, shaking at the mere thought of it. But she eventually voices it, her tone notably more fearful and her worries seeping out as she said it:

“‘...what if we lose you?’”

They were silent for another few moments, with those worries of hers hanging in the air.

“Sorry… I know I’m not as strong as everyone else.” Ann sighed once more. “Everyone’s been on edge and trying to prepare and brace ourselves while trying to keep at being normal at the same time. I’ve been trying to do the same thing too. But you, most of all, Akira… You’ve got the biggest risks out of all of us, and yet you do everything in your power to keep us safe despite that. You’re the one who goes out of your way to make sure everything’s okay, the one that stays by our side no matter what! Even now, with mostly everyone losing their faith in the Phantom Thieves and believing everything that’s thrown at them, you’d still be the first one to get out there and help people. And yet… you’re going to be the one that has more to lose. You’re gonna be at risk more than any of us… That’s what it’s going to have to be for this plan to work… and I can’t do a damn thing about it but wait…”

He had no idea what to say to that. “Ann…”

“I think… that’s the most frustrating part. If we were all fighting some big shadow or something together, then I know we would have each other’s backs. Without a doubt. But there… not all of us would be able to help you. We’d have to keep going as if everything’s normal… and yet we won’t even know if you made it out okay. Something could easily fall apart and we won’t even know it. It’s frustrating… and frightening… and I can’t help but worry because of it.” Ann sniffs a bit, angrily wiping at her eyes to stop any unwanted tears that may come out. She will not cry because of this. _She will not._ She was determined not to cry. But Ann’s voice was starting to tremble, her strong emotions betraying her. 

“I especially hate that it sometimes feels like that’s all I’ve been doing this past week. I hate that I’m worrying so much… I hate that I feel so scared… I hate that it hasn’t even happened yet and I’m already losing my shit about it…! I hate it, Akira! _Damn it, I just hate it!_ ”

Ann tried to keep her composure on the level. She tried, but to no avail. By the end of her venting, she had already broke down in a sob. She feels the immediate pull of Akira wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, and she ends up crying against his chest. God, she hated that she was crying. She was so upset at herself right now… but the tears were coming at full force. And when they come at her like that, she can’t stop it. Ann clutches tightly at the fabric of Akira’s school jacket, feeling the comforting touch of his hand gently stroking her back.

“It’s okay. Cry if you need to.” he assured her. 

Ann could only respond by letting out all of her frustrations through her tears, and she kept going until her sobbing had slowed down. She could faintly hear his phone vibrate through his pocket, but Akira didn’t let go of her. It kept vibrating a few times after several minutes, but he didn’t make a move to answer it. Throughout all the time that Ann has been crying, Akira never even thought of letting go of her. Noticing how long she’s been like this, Ann tried to raise her head up. Once she did, she was met by a loving kiss on her forehead before she could do anything else.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You have every right to be worried, Ann.” Akira voiced, wiping some of her tears away with his thumb. “You have every right to be scared. I’m sort of scared too. And I think everyone else is too, underneath it all. It would probably be weird as hell if none of us were even a little bit scared.” He leans in again, pressing a few more kisses against her wet cheeks. Ann could only sit there in place, stunned.

“I like that you can admit it, even though you hate it. You emphasize so strongly, and it’s so powerful because your kind heart cares so much… it’s one of the things that I love so much about you.” he continued. Ann had stopped crying at that point, but she can still feel Akira pressing soft kisses all over her face, caring very little about who would see them like this. When he kisses her forehead one more time, he then gingerly presses his forehead against hers.

“A part of me really is scared, Ann.” he admitted. “Another part of me is conflicted... and another part is angry. That’s all valid, even when I don’t like to show it much and just tend to keep it to myself. In that regard… you’re stronger than me.” Akira forms a weak smile, before continuing. “But another part of me is determined to keep you guys safe, despite my fears. If I can find a way to keep you and others safe, then I would always take that chance. I would face any risk to keep you all safe, first and foremost... because you guys mean everything to me.”

“Akira…” 

“So don’t feel like you’re not as strong just because you’re worried about how things are going to go. Don’t feel ashamed that you’re scared, because it’s okay to be. You’re one of the strongest people I know, Ann. Even when you’re really scared, you don’t let that fear stop you from trying your hardest to protect those you love. You would set the whole world on fire if it would save someone, and damn anyone who tries to get in your way.”

Ann stiffed a laugh at that. “Puns, Akira? Really?”

“Hey, it fits, doesn’t it?”

It takes her a bit, but Ann does eventually form a small smile of her own. It takes a lot for Akira to open up so personally like this, and in a way, she’s glad that he did. It was comforting to know that her worries weren’t as stupid as she previously thought they were, and that her thoughts were indeed valid. And it always helped that he cheered her up a little bit too. She reaches her hands up, cradling Akira’s face as she leans forward and kisses him on the lips. He responds happily in kind by kissing her back. She may still have her concerns about this whole thing, but her frustrations have, for the moment, been calmed. 

“I love you, you know.” she said, her face barely an inch apart from his.

“I love you too.” he said back, leaning in to kiss her again. This one lasted a little longer than the last one, and it tasted so sweet on Ann’s lips. She giggled a little against his lips before she reluctantly pulls away from him, but her smile became a little bigger in return.

“Hey, hey. Let’s not give all of Shibuya a show here.” she laughed, closing an eye at him.

“Let them look.” he scoffed bluntly, giving her a little squeeze as he kisses her cheek one more time.

Ann laughed again. “You shameless little devil.” she commented. Now that she was feeling a little better, he was probably feeling a little greedy. Not that she minded though. It definitely lightened the mood from what it was before. Before either of them could act further, however, Akira’s phone vibrated in his pocket once again. Groaning, he dejectedly rests his head against Ann’s shoulder, reluctant to let her go. To that end, Ann giggled at him. “Go ahead. You should probably let the world know you’re alive.” she teased. Akira smiled softly at her as he took out his phone from his pocket, glancing at the mountain of messages that Ryuji left for him in the past several minutes.

**Ryuji** : Alright! Party time is a go!  
**Ryuji** : Bring Ann over here, Akira! It’s all good and ready!

**Ryuji** : What’s up? The train more crowded than usual or something? 

**Ryuji** : Everyone’s still waiting, dude. Anytime you two wanna show up?  
**Ryuji** : I know you were supposed to keep her busy, but damn.

**Ryuji** : Duuuuuude! It’s been like, 30 minutes already!  
**Ryuji** : How long are you and the birthday girl gonna make us wait?!

“I had a feeling.” Ann mused, reading over Ryuji’s mess of text messages that he sent. It was nice to see her initial instinct about everyone was right. It just really felt like it was going to go that way. She glances at her ‘distraction’, who couldn’t help but facepalm at the fact that the surprise he tried to set up was now ruined.

“So much for making it a surprise…” Akira groaned.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t completely Ryuji’s fault. I kinda caught on early.” Ann assured. When she’s seeing Akira staring at her a bit in confusion, she smiled coyly as she pointed a finger at herself. “Hello? OG Member over here! I can tell when something’s up.”

“So you can…” Akira sighed in defeat, yet there was a small grin on his face as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “So… want your birthday present?”

Ann giggled. “Lead the way! I can’t wait.”

\-----

Leblanc was closed early, according to Boss. Everyone else gathered after school to set up a little cozy birthday party for Ann. Since this would technically be the first birthday party for a Phantom Thief ( _Since nearly everyone else had early-in-the-year birthdays and they didn’t know each other then._ ), everyone wanted to do this right. Yusuke, Makoto and Haru got the cake together, a sweet white and red vanilla cake with strawberries baked inside. Futaba, Ryuji and Morgana were the lookouts and self-proclaimed security, making sure that everything was going smoothly. And though there was some debate among themselves upon whether or not to go through with it, they invited Akechi to celebrate with them as well.

Well, what had happened was, Akechi came under the impression that Akira had called a meeting in Leblanc, hence why the cafe was closed early. He was rather surprised to see that it was a birthday party instead, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. 

“I must admit, I feel rather bad that I didn’t even get Takamaki-san anything.” he said.

“Given our circumstances, even setting all of this up was somewhat on short notice.” Makoto pointed out. “Besides, I’m sure that Ann won’t mind it too much.”

“Wouldn’t this whole party be a present in itself anyway?” Futaba mentioned, idly kicking her feet in the air. “A cozy and loud present to her from us!”

“This in itself provides a bit of levity as well,” Yusuke mentioned, taking a sip of a cup of coffee Sojiro provided. “Given that we’ve all been preparing for the final heist upon Nijima-san’s palace next week on the 19th, it’s understandable that we would be feeling more stressed.”

“I agree,” Haru interjected, straightening the birthday cake on the table. “A nice get-together would help all of us relax, even for a moment. Especially since this is a special occasion for one of us. It was sweet of Akira-kun to set all of this up in the first place, wasn’t it?”

“Speaking of Akira… he still isn’t answering!” Ryuji groaned as he stared as his phone for any updates, but to no avail. “What’s Ann got him doing?!”

Akira, being the one who set this whole thing in motion, was the distraction that had to keep their target occupied while everyone else was setting up. Although Ryuji could say that Akira did his job a little _too_ well. It was about a half an hour after giving the green light that Akira finally answered back, much to Ryuji’s relief.

**Akira** : Hold your horses, we’re coming.  
**Ryuji** : Finally! Geez, what the hell took you two so long?!  
**Akira** : Don’t worry about it. Just keep cool ‘till we get there.

On Akira and Ann’s end, the train ride to Yongen-Jaya went smoothly. The two of them actually managed to find seats to sit in this time around, so things can only be looking good from this point on. Once they reached their stop, the two walked out of the station hand in hand and headed towards Leblanc. The sign had said closed, but the both of them knew better. Seeing as Ann already knew what was coming, Akira took a step to the side in order to let her be the one to open the door.

“Go ahead,” Akira cued, gesturing his head towards the door. Ann smiled at him before she steps forward, taking hold of the door handle. She pushes the door open, and was met by a lovely sight.

“Surprise!!”

Ann sees mostly everyone crowded around the booth closest to the door. Futaba, Ryuji and Haru all made a gesture towards the white cake sitting upon the table, while Morgana looks on from where he was sitting nearby. Makoto and Yusuke were both at the bar, with a cup of coffee in the hands that they enjoyed while they waited for her to make an appearance. Boss was at the other side of the bar booth, cleaning a coffee mug in his hands. As he was doing that, he smiled kindly at Ann once she had stepped inside the shop. If Ann could look ahead a little further… was that Akechi over there? It was! Goro Akechi was a little bit further away from the group, yet he nodded and smiled kindly as he too had a cup of coffee in his hands.

Everyone was here for her birthday.

“You guys…!” Ann trailed off, letting a tear fall down from her eye. Without hesitation, she walks up and grabs the closest people to the door -- in this case, Ryuji and Futaba -- in a tight hug. Even though she really wasn’t surprised by the party itself, her reaction was completely real. She was really, truly touched. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you guys did all of this! I’m so… I’m so happy right now, you have no idea! Thank you so much!”

“Gya -- ! Your grip… unexpectedly… too tight…!” Futaba choked out, gasping for air.

“S-Shit -- ! We’re happy you’re happy, Ann, but you’re kinda…! Killing us here…!” Ryuji gasped.

“Whoops! Sorry about that!” Ann then releases them, leaving the two of them dramatically gasping for breath. “Huh, guess I don’t know my own strength.” she mused, shaking her head. Ann then switches her attention to the decorative birthday cake, her eyes already sparkling at the sight. Inscribed in red icing were the words _‘Happy Birthday Ann!’_ on top, with a cute little red cat face placed right in the middle of the cake. If she were to guess, it really represented her mask as Panther, but people outside of the group were none the wiser.

“Oh, this is so cute!” she squealed, clasping her hands together in her delight.

“I’m glad that you like it so much!” Haru chimed in. “We had to request the cake a few days in advance to make it in time, but I think that it turned out quite well! There’s even supposed to be strawberries inside.”

“Seriously?!” Ann gasped. Okay, that did it. They had her at strawberries. She was cutting this bad boy _open._ “Okay, who was a knife nearby? I’m gonna go ahead and cut some pieces!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. At least wait until the candles are up this time, Ann.” Akira spoke up, bringing up a matchbox from the counter. He has been quiet since they came in the building, slowly making his way to the back counter so that he could gather some plates and utensils to hand out to everyone. But seeing as his girlfriend was more than eager to slice everything open, he had to slow things down a little. Though Makoto quirked a brow at the phrasing he used. 

“‘This time?’” she parroted. “What do you mean, ‘this time’?”

“Ehehe… it’s an inside joke, Makoto.” Ann explained. “We got a huge crepe earlier, and Akira joked about putting a candle on top for the occasion… but I already ate some of it by then.”

“So you had crepes before you came here?” A smile crept upon Makoto’s lips, and she chuckled a little. “I suppose that’s why we’ve been waiting so long for you, huh?”

“Ouch… no fair. How was _I_ supposed to know you guys were throwing a surprise party? That would kind of ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?” Ann countered, even though she knew she was lying. Luckily for her, Akira was staying silent. That’s good. She wouldn’t want him to spill that she figured it all out early on and leave her point moot.

“Alright. Gather ‘round, guys.” Akira called, placing a single candle just above the cat’s head. As everyone that wasn’t close to the booth drew in, he took out a match and struck it against the box. As he bent over and allowed the flame to light the candle, Akira looked around to see if everyone was close by. “Okay, everyone over here? Let’s see… hey, Akechi! Get over here!”

Akechi, who did draw closer when everyone started to bunch around, still kept a little distance by sitting near the bar stand. When Akira called him out, he genuinely looked surprised at the gesture. “Are you sure?” he inquired. “It does look pretty crowded in that corner. I’d hate to add to it and make everything uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine, Akechi-kun!” Ann voiced. Somehow that felt so much easier to say and mean it than she had thought it was going to be. “We can make some room if there isn’t any, so come on!”

Akechi laughed pleasantly. It was something that Ann could tell that it truly felt genuine, and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “Well, if the birthday girl herself requests it, I guess that’s something that I shouldn’t fight.” he replied, rising up from his seat so that he could join the others. He stands in-between Akira and Yusuke, with all eyes on Ann and the cake.

“Everything seems to be in place… Well then. Are we singing?” Yusuke inquired.

“Wha -- Like we’re gonna do something that lame!” Ryuji protested.

“What, are you that embarrassed over your singing voice, Ryuji?” Ann teased.

“H-Hell no! Like hell I’m embarrassed over my voice!” Ryuji refuted.

“Mwehehe… Just be glad that this isn’t a karaoke party. Then you really can’t avoid your singing voice.” Futaba snickered.

“Do I really need to hear that from you of all people?!” Ryuji groaned.

“In any case… are we going to sing or not?” Makoto inquired.

“And if we are not going to sing, then what should we do? Surely we must do something…” Haru added.

“If we’re not going to sing, then how about this: We’re going to cheer.” Akira proposed.

“Cheer?” Yusuke parroted.

“Yeah. On the count of three, we’re all going to shout _‘Happy Birthday, Ann’_. If people don’t want to sing, then we should do that instead.”

“Not a bad proposal. I’m in favor of this.” Yusuke settled with a satisfied grin.

“Sounds like a good plan.” Makoto agreed.

“Takamaki-san, are you alright with this?” Akechi asked.

“I’m fine either way. Though I’m not gonna lie, I just want to hurry and cut the cake.” Ann admitted.

“You and me both, sister!” Futaba chimed in.

“Alright, this has to be unanimous.” Akira stepped in, looking all around at everyone in the room. “All in favor of cheering?”

“Aye!” Everyone chimed in.

“Alright, let me do the countdown!” Ryuji jumped in. 

“So loud… Ryuji certainly has the perfect mouth for the job.” Morgana sighed, rolling his eyes. 

_“Can it, cat.”_ Ryuji growled, but eventually shook it off. Grinning wildly, he raises his hand in air as a sort of signal. “Okay. On the count of three! One! Two! Three!”

_“Happy birthday, Ann!”_

\-----

The party lasted until evening came.

The cake was all gone within the first hour, with everyone getting at least two slices if they had the stomach for it. Ann didn’t know how she was able to eat two slices of cake after she had that huge crepe earlier, but she did. It was probably going to be a pain trying to work out a balanced diet and proper exercise after this, but she really didn’t care about all of that right now. ( _Besides, that cake was too damn good to pass up._ ) Right now, she was having so much fun with everyone on her birthday, and that was enough for her. And from what she could see while she was there, everyone else was having fun as well. 

All of them were chatting up a storm, occasionally talking over each other once they got really excited over something. Food, jokes, TV shows, you name it. They covered it. At some point in the day, Ann gathered everyone close together just so she could take a group selfie with them to mark the occasion. The second picture that Sojiro took of them was a much smoother process than the first, but Ann kept them both. Occasionally, Boss would make an off-hand comment about how the shop seems to get louder whenever everyone gets together like this, but he just laughs it off, chalking it up to the wonders of youth. They really weren’t doing anything that different from what they usually do whenever they hung out with each other, but considering what was going to be waiting for them in a week, a sense of normalcy was more than welcome.

When everything was finally winding down, Akira and Sojiro both went over and gathered everyone’s plates so that they could wash them a little later in the evening. Everyone else was stretched out and relaxed in their seats. Ann in particular was especially content.

“Guys, this was such a fun party! You guys don’t know how much this made my entire day… so, thanks for this. Really.” she thanked.

“Hey, don’t even sweat it! This whole thing would’ve been a bust if you weren’t having fun on your own birthday. ” Ryuji replied, stretching his arms before he lets them rest against the booth. “If you were having fun in the end, I’d say it’s worth it!”

“Mhm!” Ann agreed, nodding. “But man, we should really do this kind of thing again. Come to think of it… who’s birthday is coming up next?”

“Leave that to me. Figuring that out should be no problem.” Futaba spoke, eyes glued to her laptop as she looks into the notes where she kept everyone’s birthday recorded. Reading down the list and matching the dates, she forms a huge grin. “Ohoho! Haru’s is coming up soon!”

“Ooh, really?” Ann mused, ideas already brewing in her head.

“December. ~” Futaba practically sang out the word.

“Oh, my… you guys really don’t have to do anything too special on my account.” Haru assured, but Akira shook his head.

“No way. This is definitely going to be a thing with us. Birthdays are special. We should be able to celebrate with each other during times like these, Haru.” he said.

“Ahaha… so our Leader has spoken then,” Haru conceded, giggling a bit sheepishly. “Then in that case, I will look forward to what you may have planned. If it’s anything like this, then I would definitely be happy.”

“Don’t you worry,” Akira assured, with a smile upon his lips. “I’ll think of something.”

With Haru’s upcoming birthday party being practically set in stone, mostly everyone stood up so that they could gather all of their stuff and leave for the day. Akechi was the first to be ready to leave, with his suitcase already resting close to his feet. Promptly, he stood up, picked up his suitcase, and prepared to say his goodbyes. Before he left though, he expressed his best wishes to the birthday girl herself.

“I must say, this wasn’t what I expected at all when I got the message to come here. But in a way, I’m glad. This was actually quite fun, celebrating such a happy occasion. I don’t often get to do these kinds of things, so this was a nice change of pace.” he said, with a pleasant smile on his face. “Of course, my enjoyment might not even begin to compare to yours. My best wishes to you on your birthday, Takamaki-san.”

“Hey, I’m just happy that this party even happened at all! That aside, I’m glad you could make it, Akechi-kun. Thanks.” Ann said with a smile. She truly meant what she said, but inside she couldn’t help but feel a little conflicted. Damn it… worrying about this whole thing would probably be easier on her if Akechi didn’t feel like a genuine, potential friend. But he does feel like one of them in a way, despite what they all knew that he was planning to do… damn it.

She waved goodbye as Akechi left the cafe. Soon after, the others were following suit. One by one, everyone expressed their final birthday wishes to Ann as they promised to see each other tomorrow. Eventually, Ann was one of the last ones to be ready to leave Leblanc. Morgana had gone upstairs, and Boss took a step outside to smoke, but… where was Akira? She knew that he didn’t leave… he lived here! 

Furrowing her brows, Ann walked over to the other side of the room to see if he was in the kitchen… but there was no sight of him. Huh. Did he go upstairs too? She actually wanted to see him one more time before she had to go on her way home herself. Maybe she should march up there… Nah. She didn’t want to be too pushy. Ann made her way over to where she put her school bag down and slung it over her shoulder, still contemplating about what to do. Marching up to his room just to say goodbye was looking more appealing. Before she could decide on it though, a familiar voice brings her out of her thoughts.

“You just going to leave without getting your present?”

Ann turns her head to see Akira coming down the stairs to his room. “I was wondering where you went.” she said, smiling at the sight of him. Ann didn’t notice at first since he was far away from her, but when she approached Akira, she noticed that he was holding a small box in his hand. He did not… he did not _actually_ get her something! Holy shit, he did. Even with all of the things that were already on his plate, he still bothered to get her something for her birthday. “Akira, you… and I thought the surprise party itself was the present!” she gasped.

“Like I said, birthdays are special,” Akira said, handing out the box to her. The present itself was simple; a small red box with a pretty white ribbon wrapped around it. “What kind of guy would I be if I left my best girl hanging on her birthday?”

Ann giggled at him a little, gladly accepting his gift by taking it off his hands. She untied the ribbon and set it on the bar, then opened the box. In it were two red bracelets, both of them on the thinner side in design. The outside color was a bright, eye catching red, while the inside was more dark in contrast. Small they may be, but the colors really made them ‘pop’. Ann couldn’t hold back the big smile on her face as she admired her gift. Beside her, Akira looks on with a rather… bashful look on his face. He doesn’t say much of anything, only looking on with a light blush coloring his cheeks as he awaited her reaction.

“You really are something else…” she said, immediately wrapping her arms around him in a loving hug as she grasps onto her birthday gift for dear life. “I love it. I literally have a closet full of outfits that I would wear these with. They’re beautiful.”

Akira chuckled as he wraps his arms around her, returning her hug in full. “I’m glad you like it.”

“You really didn’t have to do all of that, you know.” Ann mentioned, resting her head against his chest and relaxing herself a bit. “The gift, hanging out in Shibuya with crepes, the surprise party… that had you written all over it. With all that we’re facing right now and everything that we’re about to do… you still found the time to do all of this for my birthday…”

“I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, you know.” Akira said.

“Funny thing is, I know that you would.” Ann replied, smiling brightly. “...thanks.”

Akira shook his head. “You don’t have to thank me,” he said, leaning down to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. “I just wanted you to enjoy yourself today.”

“Trust me, I had a great time. And Shiho did say that I should take the time to enjoy myself today.” she mentioned.

“You really should listen to her more often.”

“Hehe… I should. But hey, I don’t need the both of you double-teaming me!”

The both of them laughed at that. To her, it felt like a brief relief. Compared to how she was feeling this morning, anxious about what was to come and worried about what may or may not happen, Ann was certainly in a better mood right now, at this moment. Her concerns about the heist on the 19th may not have gone away, but even so, there was no way in hell that she was giving up that easily. Whatever that awaited them, whatever conflict that they had to face… she’ll face it head on, despite her worries. And damn anyone who would try and get in her way.

“Hey.” she called, letting her laughter die down. When she sees Akira looking down at her, she pushes herself up on her toes, meeting his height so that she could kiss him on the lips. Her hold around him was tight, and Akira was reciprocating in kind, pressing her body against his as they remained in that sweet kiss. Ann knew that she had to go soon, but she couldn’t help herself this time. She loved this boy way too much. As she pulls away from him slightly, a bright smile adorned her lips as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I love you.” she said, with a sweetness to her voice.

“I love you too.” Akira said right back with a smile. “Happy birthday, Ann.”


End file.
